Jasmine Espy

Background

About Jasmine Espy

From blazing trails in multimedia journalism for marginalized communities to emerging as a documentary filmmaker and storyteller to becoming the Founder + CEO of The Association of Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Inflammatory Diseases (AHSID), Jasmine IVANNA Espy is a living testimony that owning your story is your power. When Espy was diagnosed with (HS), loneliness, shame, and isolation began to settle in. Amid this uncertainty, she knew one thing to be true — she didn't want anyone else to feel like she did. The more she learned about healing her body, the more tools she gathered to help others do the same. For Jasmine, advocacy means more than being able to speak up for yourself. It means owning your story. It means embracing shame. It means lobbying to ensure people without access to proper care in the medical community have a voice and are extended equity. Espy is a sought-after storyteller who views her chronic illness as a vital gateway, not a hindrance, to her creative path. In 2020, Espy began working with pharmaceutical companies, small businesses, and media outlets, bringing awareness to (HS) by retelling her unique experience. In June 2023, Espy wrapped one of her most significant projects to date, a multi-part campaign where Espy served as an on-camera talent, storyteller, and co-producer for Novartis' The Beacons docuseries. The documentary premiered during the Tribeca Film Festival and highlighted various Hidradenitis Suppurativa patient stories from across the globe. Espy uncovered her scars, laid out her truth, and showed herself and the world there is beauty in disease. There is a purpose in pain. This work has also extended opportunities to sit on DEI panels for clinical trials, consult with global teams, and serve as a keynote speaker for HS Advisory Boards and a Masterclass in Storytelling, reaching audience members, patients, and advocates across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, the United States, and Africa. Espy is a health and wellness influencer and co-chair of the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Coalition. Espy tells meaningful stories across various platforms and topics, unified under the belief that people are worthy of care. Espy and her awareness work live in ESSENCE, Ebony, Healthline, Health Central, Hud & Helse, Insider, Media Planet, Thought Catalog, and VeryWell Health, amongst others. Espy's unexpected diagnosis with a chronic illness evoked an unshakeable, unconditional commitment to self-expression, self-love, and advocacy.